I got into Annecy to late. I still had to make my way to Argonay which was maybe 10 or 15Ks away and the last bus had left 10 minutes before I arrived into the station. I hung around for a while, bought a drink, tried to get in contact with some riders but with no luck. After about two sips of my newly bought sprite a fella came over and started rambling onto me in French. From what I got, he had no money and was trying to get a free drink from the shop for his kid who was maybe 3 years old. Of course they wouldn't give him a free drink so he was pissed. I offered the kid a sip of my drink fully expecting to get the bottle back. It didn't work that way. After the child had taken his sip the bottle was quickly handed around to about 4 other people until it was totally empty. Never trust a Frenchman. Eventually I found a bus that took me to the hospital and although the hospital was still a few Kilometers away from the race grounds I figured it was closer than where I was and I could probably hitch hike the rest of the trip. When I reached the hospital I followed the signs towards the main road which leads to Argonay. I lugged my gear for 10 minutes or so and before I even got a chance to hitch hike a lady with a name that meant sun set offered to take me to where ever I needed to go. Turns out that years ago she had met a fella named Pierre Gamby who now lives in new Zealand but is originally French. I met the same Pierre last year while racing at Newtons Playground in Bathurst. It really is a small world. Sunset (or whatever her name was) had no idea about the race that was happening in the area but said she might come along to watch. After 40 minutes of trying to work out where the camp site was, she dropped me off and was on her way.
The camp site was nothing special. It was hot as hell in Argonay and the oragnisers had put us in an open field with no trees or shade of any kind. I had done a bit of thinking about weather or not I would race and although the temptation was there I decided it was best to let my new stitches do what they are supposed to do. I managed to get a full refund on my race rego and decided to do some filming and photographing during the event. The Graveyard course is one of a kind on the IGSA circuit. It starts on a very narrow strip of road that runs through forest and ends in a housing area. The surface is rough, the corners are tight and narrow not to mention the man holes and pot holes that are scattered about. It was interesting for me to watch a race from a spectators point of view and although I would have liked to ride, it was a lot of fun to wander up and down the track and see how different people tackled the course. At the end of the day Kevin Reimer was once again invincible. In second was Switzer and Louis Pilloni took third place. Milena and her boyfriend Thomas came down from Grenoble after the presentation to join the party. The next morning was a slow one. A very slow one. It took a couple of hours to get packed and organised but eventually Milena, Thomas and myself were on our way to Annecy. We checked out my train times to Chamonix and after a feed at a place across the road we headed to the Annecy lake. The lake was incredible. I still cant get over the colour of the water in the European lakes. The lake is backed by a mountain range which creeps up towards the clouds. Around the lake are shops and restaurants. In some areas the water creeps between the shops and looked just how I had pictured Venice. We wandered for a couple of hours, looking at the area and getting a little lost from time to time. We spent some time in a park hanging about in the shade and watching some poor caged birds that were not in a very nice state. Eventually the time came, we said our goodbyes and I was on my way to Chamonix, Mont Blanc. No matter how much time you spend looking at them, mountains are still some of the most impressive things the world has to offer. The alps are truly incredible. At one of the change over stops I caught up with an Aussie chick and two rock climbers from Annecy that were heading the same way. The two French guys were great to have and could point out some cool things along the way. One of the most impressive sights was the glacier that creeps down the side of the mountain towards the town. During the heat of the day it begins to thaw and move down the mountain face as streams and waterfalls. During the night it freezes solid again. The young fella on the train with me told me that his Grandfather remembers that every winter the glacier would cross the main road into the town. Each year the city would have to dig hole or a tunnel through the glacier so that cars could pass through. Although it was big, it was now no where near to crossing the main road. Apparently it is reducing in size around 2 meters per day which is a huge amount if you think about it. Most of the mountain peaks couldn't be seen as we came into Mont Blanc because the cloud level was lower than the peaks themselves. We eventually got into the station, parted ways and I headed to the tourist information centre which was about a 20 minute walk from the train station. Of course, they were closed. It took me a while but I eventually found a couple of campsites. I lugged all my gear to the first one only to be told they were full. I arrived at the second one and read the sign that said the grounds were full. Instead of going into the office to ask if they had even a little room I just wandered around until I found a small gap and pitched in it. I ended up next to some very rowdy Swiss fellas and a male couple that had managed to find the worlds shortest shorts somewhere along the way. That night I went for the first skate I had been on since my stitches were put in. I cruised around the main town for a few hours, ate some food and headed back to camp for the night. The next day was a similar one. I did a bit of wandering around but spent most of the day with the board. After a week of no skating I was very happy to be back on the board again. I had thought when I heard of Mont Blanc that the place would have been filled with amazing roads to skate but it wasn't the case. The roads were cracked and eroded. They had pot holes in them deep enough to swallow your own foot and they were mostly super narrow. I spotted two housing areas that ended way up on the side of the mountain. Normally you would expect the road to wind down the side of the mountain to reduce the steepness but not here. The two roads went straight down and were two of the steepest roads I have seen. Again the surface was gnarly and you really had to think about what you were doing while riding them. I did each road twice and called it quits. In the evening I headed to the pub around the corner from my campsite to see if anyone I knew was hanging around. I ended up talking to an Aussie guy who was in Chamonix for 10 days working as a climbing model for a Korean climbing label. It was a pretty strange circumstance and he said the clothes were some of the ugliest he had ever seen but if they pay and allow you to travel, why not. We hung about for an hour or so before parting ways. The next day I decided I had to head up one of the mountains as it seemed the touristy thing to do. To get part pay up a peak it cost 20e, 35e for half way and 47e to head to the peak. I decided to walk. I found a track filled with people carrying walking sticks, backpacks, huge canisters of water and all decked out in gloves, boots, cargo pants and anything else you would need to scale mount Everest. I had my camera, 2 liters of Orange juice and a packet of nuts. Most of the people on the path with me were upwards of 40 years old so I was out in front in no time. After almost two hours of walking I found a water fall and managed to fill my almost empty juice bottle with ice cold water. The path was narrow and dirt with tree roots sticking out every which way. In some areas there was a 50 meter plus drop off the edge of the path which made it even more impressive when a couple of mountain bikers shot down the path past me. After almost 4 hours of walking I was back in town. Chamonix is another place that has ben over run by tourists. The buildings are old and impressive but filled with cheap shit that has been mass produced in China. Every now and then a tourist train would cruise by on the road, filled with dotty old lady's and screaming infants. The train was good if you had a board though, I managed to grab on and get a few free rides across town. The following morning I was at the station and out of Chamonix, heading towards Peschiera Del Garda, Italy. Italian trains are a lot like Italian drivers. Shit. I was very nervous for the whole journey. The speed, the grinding noises, the parts flying off the side and the holes in the floor that allowed you to see the tracks under you. Not only that but we were traveling through flat, ugly and mostly industrial areas. Corn crops and grain silos as far as the eye could see. I was beginning to wish I had stayed in Chamonix. The whole journey so far I have always had, even if it was only a slight idea of where in the world I was. This trip, I had none. I had no idea if I was on the right train, if I had gone past my stop or even if the train would ever stop again. I was really tired and wanted to sleep but I knew if I slept I would miss my stop and end up in Rome or some other place I didn't really want to be at present. Eventually we got there. I stepped off the train at about 8 at night and the priority was a camp site. With no tourist office and no signs I followed some people into the heart of town. I found a sign that said camping, walked for half an hour to get there only to be told that they had no room. When I asked the lady about the next closest site she gave a long list of instructions and to cap it all off told me to take the last right while she pointed left. I got lost. Really lost, I found about 3 areas that all looked like city centers. I could only find one person who spoke any English and all she had to say was ''there are campsites everywhere'' and that was it. I had Julia on the phone with google maps but still no luck. An hour or so of wandering later, I found a campsite. Even if it was on the other side of a fence. I didn't care, I scaled that fence like a monkey in the knowing that sleep was waiting on the other side. I knew that the site was full but again, I didn't care. I found a spot next to a nice old couple who lent me a hammer, set up camp and went to eat. If you ever get the chance to go to Peschiera Del Garda... Don't. I have never before seen such a touristy place. To the point that in the morning they rake the beaches clean of seaweed. Drunk, rich 16 year olds were running amuck everywhere and huge, meat headed morons with fake tans desperately tried to claim dominance over the area they walked in. My train out wasn't until about 1 in the afternoon. I hadn't paid for my night in the camp site but taking my current financial position into account, I went skating instead. I found a great little road with a brand new surface that was awesome for free riding. I got two runs in before the local fuzz blew his whistle and asked me to leave. I found another spot and got in half a run before the same guy came and yelled ''bipidy boop, bippidy bop, spaghetti'' at me and I was moved on again. Eventually I found a road that was quiet and got to skate for another hour or so. When I got back to the camp site to pack I found that every entrance had a security guard posted. They were checking peoples wrists for colored bracelets which are obviously issued to you when you check in. I didn't have one. i had to get in because all of my stuff was set up but the security guard took an immediate disliking to the shaggy Aussie with the wheelie board. They wouldn't let me walk through the grounds to the reception, instead I had to take a huge detour around the park. When I got to the reception no one was around so I headed back to the fence where my tent was closest to. I did the monkey thing again and happily strolled towards my tent. Before I managed to get to the tent the security guard had called me out and I was in a game if charades. I was waving my arms around trying to explain and mime my situation and he was waving his around because he is Italian and that just how they talk. In the end 4 other guards had joined and luckily one spoke minimal English. I told him that I had arrived late last night and the reception was closed. I now needed to pay for my camping but my bank card was in my tent and this schmuck wouldn't let me go to my tent. We wandered over to my tent, I got my card out and showed him. I asked him if it would be better for me to pack first and then pay on my way out because if I left again now I may not be allowed back in. As I'd hoped, he agreed. I packed my stuff, wandered past the guard, smiled, waved and said ''I hope bad things come your way''. He smiled, waved and said something (probably the same as what I said) in Italian. I was out of the site with a free night of camping and a new enemy. I rode my bag to the station in the pouring rain and even ran into the same policeman who blew his whistle and waved his hands at me. I waved and kept rolling hoping that he would chase me and my bag down the hill. He didn't. I was so happy to be out of the tourist trap and on my way to the next event in Teolo. It was a train trip with a bus trip at the end. Flat Italy is ugly but as soon as you get into the hilly areas it becomes everything you would picture Italy being. Rolling hill, Vineyards, old stone houses and lush green forest everywhere. When I arrived into Teolo no one was about. I managed to track done one old lady who pointed me in some direction but I wasn't really sure where the race hill or campsite was. I went in the general direction that the old lady had pointed me in and before I knew it I was sitting on my bag rolling down an awesome road. I knew that I was heading the wrong way when I saw the sign telling me that I was leaving Teolo but the ride was so fun I figured I could always hitch back up. Then it started raining. A lot. I found some shelter under the roof of a closed restaurant. I spent about 20 minutes there hoping to see a skaters car come up or down the hill but it never did. The next thing I saw was a grey dog, maybe a short haired pointer wandering up the road. I called him over and he was friendly enough but terrified of the thunder, wind and rain. We hing out together for a little while before I read his name (Cuba) and phone number on his tag. I rang the number and got through to someone who asked if I could wait for 20 minutes until the owner arrived. I had no where to be and had no idea where I was so it wasn't a problem. Half hour later the owner arrived to pick up the dog, he offered me a ride to where ever I was headed. We took a quick stop to his place to drop off Cuba before he ran me to the top of the race hill where I was able to register. The girls behind the desk told me that Athletes were entitled to a 50% discount at a particular hotel in town. To shorten the story slightly, Cuba's owner ended up dropping me off at the hotel, booked me a room and left me with 300€. It was the best thing to happen to me this entire trip and I was so happy to be in a room with a bed I could have cried with joy. During the course of the week over 1,500€ worth of gear was stolen from the athletes campsite including camera gear, wallets, computers and passports. I was able to store some stuff in the hotel room for the week which was convenient for the people who hadn't had their gear stolen yet. Teolo was by far the strangest race I have ever attended. The course itself is pretty lousy. It starts off with a long straight that peaks at about 80KM/h before throwing you into a quick left right. After that it is maybe 6 hairpins that dont get you over the speed of 40 for the whole time. If your not riding in a group, it's not worth it. The event has been the inline world championship race for years before skateboarding was ever invited which meant the whole thing was roller blade mad. On the second night everyone did a night run down the hill which was followed by us parading down through town in front of all the locals representing our country. This was then followed by over an hours worth of roller skate dancing routines on a stage and another hours worth of speeches by Italian officials such as the mayor. At the end of the day it was a fun event but a crappy race. A whole lot of sitting around and waiting for things to get organised and official ceremonies. A couple of times we tried to turn it into a skateboarding event by initiating food fights but it just made us un-popular with the roller bladers. I had no problem qualifying for the races but I was knocked out in my first heat, placing 3rd by what can only be described as another riders incompetence. I was beyond irritated by the result but as the saying goes, shit happens.
The final day was another early one. I payed my Hotel bill at 7 in the morning and caught a ride with Melanie, Ross the boss and Carmen to Zurich. The drive took about 7 hours and ended with the most impressive storm I have ever seen. Fork lightning, flooded roads, strong winds and minimal visibility on a very fast highway. I stayed with Ross and Carmen for two nights and two days just out of the center of Zurich. Ross and I did some skating on both days and other than that we played Monopoly, drank some beer, watched some TV and talked rubbish. That about brings me to now. Tonight we ventured to the Airflow Skateboard warehouse to watch the European premiere of DROP. DROP is a new movie to come out of North America and is focused on a few of the top downhill racers in the world. The cinematography was incredible and it is by far the largest budget ever put into a skating film. We had a few beers before watching the movie and catching up with all the other guys who had ended up in Zurich. I have organised a ride to Insul (the next race) tomorrow and am spending the night at Ramons house. Right now Patty Swiss is watching footage next to me and Ramon and Sebastien are eating some food that smells amazing on my left.
Thats it, it's done. I hope you didn't have anywhere important to be...
The camp site was nothing special. It was hot as hell in Argonay and the oragnisers had put us in an open field with no trees or shade of any kind. I had done a bit of thinking about weather or not I would race and although the temptation was there I decided it was best to let my new stitches do what they are supposed to do. I managed to get a full refund on my race rego and decided to do some filming and photographing during the event. The Graveyard course is one of a kind on the IGSA circuit. It starts on a very narrow strip of road that runs through forest and ends in a housing area. The surface is rough, the corners are tight and narrow not to mention the man holes and pot holes that are scattered about. It was interesting for me to watch a race from a spectators point of view and although I would have liked to ride, it was a lot of fun to wander up and down the track and see how different people tackled the course. At the end of the day Kevin Reimer was once again invincible. In second was Switzer and Louis Pilloni took third place. Milena and her boyfriend Thomas came down from Grenoble after the presentation to join the party. The next morning was a slow one. A very slow one. It took a couple of hours to get packed and organised but eventually Milena, Thomas and myself were on our way to Annecy. We checked out my train times to Chamonix and after a feed at a place across the road we headed to the Annecy lake. The lake was incredible. I still cant get over the colour of the water in the European lakes. The lake is backed by a mountain range which creeps up towards the clouds. Around the lake are shops and restaurants. In some areas the water creeps between the shops and looked just how I had pictured Venice. We wandered for a couple of hours, looking at the area and getting a little lost from time to time. We spent some time in a park hanging about in the shade and watching some poor caged birds that were not in a very nice state. Eventually the time came, we said our goodbyes and I was on my way to Chamonix, Mont Blanc. No matter how much time you spend looking at them, mountains are still some of the most impressive things the world has to offer. The alps are truly incredible. At one of the change over stops I caught up with an Aussie chick and two rock climbers from Annecy that were heading the same way. The two French guys were great to have and could point out some cool things along the way. One of the most impressive sights was the glacier that creeps down the side of the mountain towards the town. During the heat of the day it begins to thaw and move down the mountain face as streams and waterfalls. During the night it freezes solid again. The young fella on the train with me told me that his Grandfather remembers that every winter the glacier would cross the main road into the town. Each year the city would have to dig hole or a tunnel through the glacier so that cars could pass through. Although it was big, it was now no where near to crossing the main road. Apparently it is reducing in size around 2 meters per day which is a huge amount if you think about it. Most of the mountain peaks couldn't be seen as we came into Mont Blanc because the cloud level was lower than the peaks themselves. We eventually got into the station, parted ways and I headed to the tourist information centre which was about a 20 minute walk from the train station. Of course, they were closed. It took me a while but I eventually found a couple of campsites. I lugged all my gear to the first one only to be told they were full. I arrived at the second one and read the sign that said the grounds were full. Instead of going into the office to ask if they had even a little room I just wandered around until I found a small gap and pitched in it. I ended up next to some very rowdy Swiss fellas and a male couple that had managed to find the worlds shortest shorts somewhere along the way. That night I went for the first skate I had been on since my stitches were put in. I cruised around the main town for a few hours, ate some food and headed back to camp for the night. The next day was a similar one. I did a bit of wandering around but spent most of the day with the board. After a week of no skating I was very happy to be back on the board again. I had thought when I heard of Mont Blanc that the place would have been filled with amazing roads to skate but it wasn't the case. The roads were cracked and eroded. They had pot holes in them deep enough to swallow your own foot and they were mostly super narrow. I spotted two housing areas that ended way up on the side of the mountain. Normally you would expect the road to wind down the side of the mountain to reduce the steepness but not here. The two roads went straight down and were two of the steepest roads I have seen. Again the surface was gnarly and you really had to think about what you were doing while riding them. I did each road twice and called it quits. In the evening I headed to the pub around the corner from my campsite to see if anyone I knew was hanging around. I ended up talking to an Aussie guy who was in Chamonix for 10 days working as a climbing model for a Korean climbing label. It was a pretty strange circumstance and he said the clothes were some of the ugliest he had ever seen but if they pay and allow you to travel, why not. We hung about for an hour or so before parting ways. The next day I decided I had to head up one of the mountains as it seemed the touristy thing to do. To get part pay up a peak it cost 20e, 35e for half way and 47e to head to the peak. I decided to walk. I found a track filled with people carrying walking sticks, backpacks, huge canisters of water and all decked out in gloves, boots, cargo pants and anything else you would need to scale mount Everest. I had my camera, 2 liters of Orange juice and a packet of nuts. Most of the people on the path with me were upwards of 40 years old so I was out in front in no time. After almost two hours of walking I found a water fall and managed to fill my almost empty juice bottle with ice cold water. The path was narrow and dirt with tree roots sticking out every which way. In some areas there was a 50 meter plus drop off the edge of the path which made it even more impressive when a couple of mountain bikers shot down the path past me. After almost 4 hours of walking I was back in town. Chamonix is another place that has ben over run by tourists. The buildings are old and impressive but filled with cheap shit that has been mass produced in China. Every now and then a tourist train would cruise by on the road, filled with dotty old lady's and screaming infants. The train was good if you had a board though, I managed to grab on and get a few free rides across town. The following morning I was at the station and out of Chamonix, heading towards Peschiera Del Garda, Italy. Italian trains are a lot like Italian drivers. Shit. I was very nervous for the whole journey. The speed, the grinding noises, the parts flying off the side and the holes in the floor that allowed you to see the tracks under you. Not only that but we were traveling through flat, ugly and mostly industrial areas. Corn crops and grain silos as far as the eye could see. I was beginning to wish I had stayed in Chamonix. The whole journey so far I have always had, even if it was only a slight idea of where in the world I was. This trip, I had none. I had no idea if I was on the right train, if I had gone past my stop or even if the train would ever stop again. I was really tired and wanted to sleep but I knew if I slept I would miss my stop and end up in Rome or some other place I didn't really want to be at present. Eventually we got there. I stepped off the train at about 8 at night and the priority was a camp site. With no tourist office and no signs I followed some people into the heart of town. I found a sign that said camping, walked for half an hour to get there only to be told that they had no room. When I asked the lady about the next closest site she gave a long list of instructions and to cap it all off told me to take the last right while she pointed left. I got lost. Really lost, I found about 3 areas that all looked like city centers. I could only find one person who spoke any English and all she had to say was ''there are campsites everywhere'' and that was it. I had Julia on the phone with google maps but still no luck. An hour or so of wandering later, I found a campsite. Even if it was on the other side of a fence. I didn't care, I scaled that fence like a monkey in the knowing that sleep was waiting on the other side. I knew that the site was full but again, I didn't care. I found a spot next to a nice old couple who lent me a hammer, set up camp and went to eat. If you ever get the chance to go to Peschiera Del Garda... Don't. I have never before seen such a touristy place. To the point that in the morning they rake the beaches clean of seaweed. Drunk, rich 16 year olds were running amuck everywhere and huge, meat headed morons with fake tans desperately tried to claim dominance over the area they walked in. My train out wasn't until about 1 in the afternoon. I hadn't paid for my night in the camp site but taking my current financial position into account, I went skating instead. I found a great little road with a brand new surface that was awesome for free riding. I got two runs in before the local fuzz blew his whistle and asked me to leave. I found another spot and got in half a run before the same guy came and yelled ''bipidy boop, bippidy bop, spaghetti'' at me and I was moved on again. Eventually I found a road that was quiet and got to skate for another hour or so. When I got back to the camp site to pack I found that every entrance had a security guard posted. They were checking peoples wrists for colored bracelets which are obviously issued to you when you check in. I didn't have one. i had to get in because all of my stuff was set up but the security guard took an immediate disliking to the shaggy Aussie with the wheelie board. They wouldn't let me walk through the grounds to the reception, instead I had to take a huge detour around the park. When I got to the reception no one was around so I headed back to the fence where my tent was closest to. I did the monkey thing again and happily strolled towards my tent. Before I managed to get to the tent the security guard had called me out and I was in a game if charades. I was waving my arms around trying to explain and mime my situation and he was waving his around because he is Italian and that just how they talk. In the end 4 other guards had joined and luckily one spoke minimal English. I told him that I had arrived late last night and the reception was closed. I now needed to pay for my camping but my bank card was in my tent and this schmuck wouldn't let me go to my tent. We wandered over to my tent, I got my card out and showed him. I asked him if it would be better for me to pack first and then pay on my way out because if I left again now I may not be allowed back in. As I'd hoped, he agreed. I packed my stuff, wandered past the guard, smiled, waved and said ''I hope bad things come your way''. He smiled, waved and said something (probably the same as what I said) in Italian. I was out of the site with a free night of camping and a new enemy. I rode my bag to the station in the pouring rain and even ran into the same policeman who blew his whistle and waved his hands at me. I waved and kept rolling hoping that he would chase me and my bag down the hill. He didn't. I was so happy to be out of the tourist trap and on my way to the next event in Teolo. It was a train trip with a bus trip at the end. Flat Italy is ugly but as soon as you get into the hilly areas it becomes everything you would picture Italy being. Rolling hill, Vineyards, old stone houses and lush green forest everywhere. When I arrived into Teolo no one was about. I managed to track done one old lady who pointed me in some direction but I wasn't really sure where the race hill or campsite was. I went in the general direction that the old lady had pointed me in and before I knew it I was sitting on my bag rolling down an awesome road. I knew that I was heading the wrong way when I saw the sign telling me that I was leaving Teolo but the ride was so fun I figured I could always hitch back up. Then it started raining. A lot. I found some shelter under the roof of a closed restaurant. I spent about 20 minutes there hoping to see a skaters car come up or down the hill but it never did. The next thing I saw was a grey dog, maybe a short haired pointer wandering up the road. I called him over and he was friendly enough but terrified of the thunder, wind and rain. We hing out together for a little while before I read his name (Cuba) and phone number on his tag. I rang the number and got through to someone who asked if I could wait for 20 minutes until the owner arrived. I had no where to be and had no idea where I was so it wasn't a problem. Half hour later the owner arrived to pick up the dog, he offered me a ride to where ever I was headed. We took a quick stop to his place to drop off Cuba before he ran me to the top of the race hill where I was able to register. The girls behind the desk told me that Athletes were entitled to a 50% discount at a particular hotel in town. To shorten the story slightly, Cuba's owner ended up dropping me off at the hotel, booked me a room and left me with 300€. It was the best thing to happen to me this entire trip and I was so happy to be in a room with a bed I could have cried with joy. During the course of the week over 1,500€ worth of gear was stolen from the athletes campsite including camera gear, wallets, computers and passports. I was able to store some stuff in the hotel room for the week which was convenient for the people who hadn't had their gear stolen yet. Teolo was by far the strangest race I have ever attended. The course itself is pretty lousy. It starts off with a long straight that peaks at about 80KM/h before throwing you into a quick left right. After that it is maybe 6 hairpins that dont get you over the speed of 40 for the whole time. If your not riding in a group, it's not worth it. The event has been the inline world championship race for years before skateboarding was ever invited which meant the whole thing was roller blade mad. On the second night everyone did a night run down the hill which was followed by us parading down through town in front of all the locals representing our country. This was then followed by over an hours worth of roller skate dancing routines on a stage and another hours worth of speeches by Italian officials such as the mayor. At the end of the day it was a fun event but a crappy race. A whole lot of sitting around and waiting for things to get organised and official ceremonies. A couple of times we tried to turn it into a skateboarding event by initiating food fights but it just made us un-popular with the roller bladers. I had no problem qualifying for the races but I was knocked out in my first heat, placing 3rd by what can only be described as another riders incompetence. I was beyond irritated by the result but as the saying goes, shit happens.
The final day was another early one. I payed my Hotel bill at 7 in the morning and caught a ride with Melanie, Ross the boss and Carmen to Zurich. The drive took about 7 hours and ended with the most impressive storm I have ever seen. Fork lightning, flooded roads, strong winds and minimal visibility on a very fast highway. I stayed with Ross and Carmen for two nights and two days just out of the center of Zurich. Ross and I did some skating on both days and other than that we played Monopoly, drank some beer, watched some TV and talked rubbish. That about brings me to now. Tonight we ventured to the Airflow Skateboard warehouse to watch the European premiere of DROP. DROP is a new movie to come out of North America and is focused on a few of the top downhill racers in the world. The cinematography was incredible and it is by far the largest budget ever put into a skating film. We had a few beers before watching the movie and catching up with all the other guys who had ended up in Zurich. I have organised a ride to Insul (the next race) tomorrow and am spending the night at Ramons house. Right now Patty Swiss is watching footage next to me and Ramon and Sebastien are eating some food that smells amazing on my left.
Thats it, it's done. I hope you didn't have anywhere important to be...
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